A small taste of what nature destined me to be was like the sweetest fruit I could've ever tasted. It was sating and delicious, yet, overindulging in the lust of it leads to poison, and to eventually lose oneself completely…
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Bella Swan sat on the edge of her bed, idly running an old brush through her hair. Rather blankly, aloof in her thoughts, did her dark eyes rest on the floor, mindlessly brushing till the knot-less locks were smooth. From this room she could hear Charlie's deep snoring of a midday snooze, a testament to how good her lunch must have been. But a sound outside her window left her jumping. Night hadn't yet fallen, so there was no way it was Victoria. She had to admit, the wild red-head plagued her thoughts far too much lately.
Instead the figure of a woman was crouched there, and with the untamed dark hair, Bella stumbled to her feet, leaning towards the door in fear of another vampire. But, of all things, the woman there merely rasped her knuckles to the window twice. Slowly Bella drew near, meeting the impatient face of Lei Ross. The moment Bella slowly lifted the window, Ross slid her body inside.
"Y'know you've got a vampire about a mile from your house, right?" It was so casual like discussing the local sports team. Bella opened and closed her mouth for words. Ross merely raised a brow at her and barely swiped an ebony lock behind her ear- though it didn't do much of anything. By the red tint on her cheeks and the way her hair wildly hung behind her, Bella was both intimidated and jealous. The woman before her reeked of something animalistic. A wild, daring edge in her hazel-like eyes that Bella both admired and found terrifying. In some respects it was similar to Jacob a while ago. How he firstly denied being with Bella because of what he was. The danger he was.
The danger he was scared of.
But that danger was embraced in Ross. There was no fear, only someone that seemed to be liking that other side too much… Though Bella had little to no idea just what Ross was.
"I didn't know." She managed, taking a slow step back. Bella had a feeling there'd be very little she could do to stop Ross from…well, anything.
Ross seemed to watch Bella's every move. With an inhuman ease noting every detail. It vaguely reminded Bella of a hungry vampire. The lust in their eyes. The way they toyed with their food first-
"I'll need to borrow a jacket. That way I can handle your little problem."
The brunette human was tempted to laugh bitterly. It was hardly a little problem… but then again, that probably spoke numbers to the differences between her and Ross.
"S-Sure." Bella fetched one quickly, tossing it to the woman. "What are you doing anyway?"
Ross slid the jacket on, finding it a little tight, but still pulled the hoodie over her head. An almost amused sound left the woman. "I'm just playing a little game of cat and mouse… Figured you'd be tired of being the mouse." Then with that, Ross slid out of the window and to the ground. With a last tug of the hoodie over her face for good measure, she walked off down the street. Bella bit her lip, gripping the windowsill under her. Then her eyes widened and quickly she closed the window and pulled the curtains over it. Diving to the safety of her bed she pulled out her phone and dialed Jacob. It rang twice.
"Hello?"
"Jacob, its me."
He responded quickly. "You okay Bells?"
"Why didn't you tell me your friend was coming? She nearly gave me a heart attack."
A thoughtful pause. Jacob and the others didn't start their shifts till tonight. There was no way Bella could have known. Unless… "What are you talking about?" he doubtfully questioned.
"That girl. Ross, I think. She took one of my jackets and went off down the road. She had this wild look in her eyes... She's one of you…isn't she?" Bella quietly asked, still uncertain of the recent events she'd witnessed. Jacob didn't answer. He just cursed and spoke quickly.
"Bella, stay in your room. Whatever you do, do not leave. I mean it."
Click.
Despite the irresistible curiosity, she didn't put up a fight. Much like she'd done every day for the past year or so, Bella sat and waited. And worried. And overthought everything until she had another headache…
At the corner of a street, Ross kept on the road. Going into the woods would have been too obvious, but a long walk through town, seemingly lost in ones' thought was the perfect bait. And considering this must have been Bella's favorite jacket, it surely carried enough of her scent. It also meant the pack wouldn't be able to find her, unless they were looking for Bella. Two birds in one stone.
And so with her head tucked low, the 'anxious teenager' continued her walk further from Forks, where night loomed on the horizon…
Evening came far too soon. With the naturally dark clouds, Ross was glad for the fast darkness. She needed to put her plans into action before this high in her instincts wore off. Before that strong desire to hunt faded… Before her human side made her regret this. Regrets were for later, though, if any. Ross fully planned to have none. Arrogantly, and hungrily so, her instincts had reached an all-time high. A euphoria met when fear, prolonged for so long, was brought to an end. When facing your fears turns to devouring them… A heavy, inhumanly deep breath left the woman's lips. Goose-bumps chilled on her arms, yet fiery blood continued swarming through her veins.
So very, very hungry...
"Bella Swan, I admit coming out here like this took guts. Especially alone. Facing your death is courageous. It would've happened sooner or later."
Ross stopped in her tracks, catching the faint scent of dead blood in the air. Of rot.
Of another reason why Ross was doing this. From seeing the heartbreak of the victim's families on the news…and then the victims themselves… It was her logical reason, anyway. Instincts were another matter. Ross shed her jacket to the ground, turning her head and watching the wide-eyed Victoria take a sniff of air. The air of something like a wolf, yet entirely new. Unknown.
"I used to be scared of your kind." Ross's voice spoke, calmly, but with an edge of amusement. "Naturally it makes sense…it's what everyone else does." Gradually, the woman's pink lips tugged upwards the more Victoria cautiously edged away.
"But I think it's actually the other way around."
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Paul rushed through the woods, paws nearly flying under him. With each embedding of his paws into the dirt, a hard, worried breath left his muzzle. He knew the very minute Ross left him earlier that day, he'd messed up. The wolf inside him had gotten so possessive. But he couldn't help it. In his fervent desire to protect his mate he'd unintentionally pushed her away. And now, he feared something had gone wrong now.
The fact he and the entire pack now ran together, having split up throughout Forks was proof enough. A howl left his throat, hoping with all his heart, he wasn't too late.
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The moon hung at a half crescent in the sky above the two. On that empty road the two's eyes were locked. Blood red to hazel. One smiling, one pulling back in a snarl.
Ross licked her lips and crouched down to the ground..
"Run, mouse."
They were off.
A half laugh and roar left the shape-shifter, sliding along the ground with a sudden shredding of clothes. Sliding on the pavement where Victoria had been only seconds prior, Ross lifted her head, inhaling the scent deep into her lungs. It was disgusting. But it also verified her prey.
She could taste the fear on her tongue.
Skin split and claws dug into the ground. The massive ebony jaguar propelled off into the woods, paws flying over the ground. Victoria was a way ahead, perhaps a mercy gift of a few seconds. The red-head snapped her head back to look over her shoulder, fangs bared. It was clear to see a shadow moving between all the trees, growing closer. The vampire hissed and jumped up into the trees, like a moving blur to escape. What she didn't expect though was the bark and wood under her feet to split and shred moments after she jumped from it. Massive claws tore through the branches like thin paper.
As another branch snapped, the jaguar's mouth snapped shut into the air, jaws clanking together with a loud snap. The rumbling, deep growl echoed just in Victoria's ear.
Trees or ground there was no escape.
So they ran.
They ran until Ross jumped from the trees, muscular arms outstretched with claws fully extended. Like a monstrous beast, the horrific Jaguar with a mouthful of sharp canines screeched from the darkness. It almost looked like fear was on Victoria's face.
They had reached the edge of a deep ravine, far from Forks at this rate. The uncertain dark depths below were a welcome escape compared to fighting this.
Victoria had no choice but to jump at the last second. Claws sailed over her head like knives, shrieking the air. Ross snapped her head down, missing Victoria, and yet, not completely. The vampire screeched wildly as she fell into the darkness.
Ross stared down in the darkness, eyes blazing.
In the corner of her mouth was a pale finger.
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There's a fine line between being true to yourself, and being reckless. You cannot truly be yourself if it brings harm to others. Yet, you always have to decide what you want more. You can be selfish enough to embrace who you are and lose yourself too in others abandoning around you. Or you can live half a life pretending. I've found being yourself is wrapped in guilt, disguised as pleasure while those you love are hurt… It hurts worse than denying yourself.
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I knew it was the justice I so rightfully deserved. I couldn't escape from the punishment that was dictated to me. Reckless, foolish, impulsive, I felt all of it now. I could no longer feel that nature at all that had sent me after Victoria. I hadn't even considered how much stress I put the others through.
The guilt nearly tore my heart in half.
Sam had been the one to find me. And now, after forcing me to reservation territory, the black wolf was relentless. I hadn't stood a match against him before, and now, he wouldn't stop furiously beating me into the ground. Bite after bite, throw after throw, I had pushed him as the alpha to such an unspeakable degree.
Not only had I disobeyed him, I put them all at risk by exposure. By my wanting to help… by my being fed up… by not ignoring my instinct that overcame me… this punishment didn't seem fair to the rational person I was. But I knew deep down, I remembered all too well what I had done. Only now I didn't have an ounce of that fiery strength to fight back.
Just to tell him I understood.
That I was sorry-
Jaws clamped around the back of my neck. Like a weightless tiny kitten he threw me into a tree, and the force of hitting my head almost knocked me out. Those formerly sharp claws now dully slid against the bark of the tree, dreading once I would touch ground. Behind I could hear Sam's savage, still furious growl nearing yet again. I sank to the ground, covering my head with a paw and curling away.
The pained breath leaving my lungs was the only sound I could make as he drew closer, and then, collision. Only my bleeding, bruised body wasn't touched again. Shakily I lifted my head, seeing silver and red attacking Sam. Paul and Jacob.
A white and yellowish wolf suddenly rushed over to me. Leah and Sam. Their jaws fell open seeing me. Thankfully Leah caught me when I leaned up against her, groaning painfully.
'Please, just get me away from here.' I mentally begged.
She got the general idea and lowered her body under mine, while Seth busily nudged the rest of me up onto her. He was busy shooting worried glances at the others fighting. Once Leah had me, the three of us were gone. Sometime during then the adrenaline faded, and I was left a bare-skinned, beaten woman.
Just when I was starting to feel better too, Sam makes me his chew toy…
"Seth, go wait outside and tell me if you see anything."
She had shifted already? Wow, they were quick. I sluggishly opened my eyes, realizing Leah was carrying me through Paul's house. She set me down on the bed, opening my luggage case and grabbing some random undergarments. Quickly she helped me into them. Leah wiped her forehead with her sleeve.
"Ross, what did you do?"
I groaned, unable to move much from the pain. "Judging…by how horrible I feel…enough to make Sam angry."
"Livid. Why didn't you submit sooner? He probably wouldn't have done so much."
"I'm a cat." I breathed, feeling my entire body stinging. I didn't want to look either. "I'm working on body language with you guys, but I doubt.. it's the same for you guys..."
Leah shook her head, grabbing multiple rags from the kitchen and wrapping me up. Before each though she'd drop disinfectant on me.
My whole body ended up burning…
My best friend spoke some more, probably scolding and worrying, but I didn't hear much. My body was overworked. Exhausted. In dire need of healing.
I closed my eyes and didn't open them for two days.
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There was a soft, gentle voice in my ear. A quiet lullaby I'd never heard before. I had never heard anything so tender and pleasant before. "And in my dreams love, I hope… hope to find you…" The voice trailed off a moment, so quiet it lost it's sound. Of a dry throat. The small amounts of air coming in through my nose were comforting scents. The spice and grass of Paul, and the familiar scent of Stormy. Gradually I could feel the cub's weight on my feet. He was constantly moving- giving himself a bath I felt. Then there was a warm presence, no, fiercely hot body against my side. A hand over mine, overlapping it and curling around my fingertips.
That soft, mild voice… Paul…?
My eyelids felt like they had weights on them. But slowly, I did open them. Paul's bedroom was partially lit. The curtains half open and letting in dull-sunlight. A radio played off in the other room, muffled. And I could smell something sweet. A pie, maybe. An apology pie on Sam's behalf made sense.
Hazel eyes inched over until I was looking above me. Paul was there, lying next to me, his hand over mine where I felt it. He was rested back against the wooden headboard, eyes half open and resting on nothing. There were dark circles under his eyes. Had he not slept at all while I did…? Sure enough, his lips were moving to barely spoken words, like he'd lost track of it.
"Encore, please?" My voice sounded horrible, but it was there at least.
After a moment, without moving, Paul's eyes inched downwards. He took a moment, furrowing his brows, questioning if I was really looking at him. When I moved to sit up, he let out a hard breath and opened his mouth to speak, but not before I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly. Sleeping for so long had done the trick. It had given me the time to heal and feel like nothing happened…though my stomach was grumbling…
"Paul I… sorry doesn't begin to cover it."
Amid my regrets, Paul just took me up in his arms. Gradually his hard breathing turned to chuckles, and I figured he was relieved, but then I felt something wet on my back.
All I could do was sit there, shocked. Had… had he really thought I was a goner…? Was my condition that bad? I glanced down at my arms. It looked like Leah had wrapped me up like a mummy. At least to my neck. Sudden concern rushed through my heart. Not for me, but him. My poor wolf to be in such a state…
I pressed my face into his neck. "I love you Paul, more than anything."
He was back to breathing hard, focusing on controlling himself. Still he was planted against me, arms wrapped around me. His voice was hard, labored… tired enough I hadn't noticed it yet.
"I love you too, kitten…"
I edged my head away. "You should get some rest."
He shook his head, having yet to break his gaze, as if I'd vanish on him. "I don't need to-"
"I'll be right here in your arms. I'm never leaving you again… It turns out that hurt me more than Sam could ever do."
Paul let his head fall against mine, tracing the tip of his nose to mine. "I'm sorry too kitten." He breathed quietly. "For not putting myself on a tighter leash. You're feisty and bold and… I'd never forgive myself if I controlled you… too much anyway." He admitted, barely pulling his lips up to smile guiltily.
I couldn't resist kissing them. Paul was always so playfully smug when he did that. "By the way… my answer is yes."
He slowly eased down into the bed, resting his tired body. "Yes to what?" he asked, letting his heavy eyes fall shut.
I leaned over him, weaving our fingers together.
"I want to marry you, Paul Lahote."
As his eyes flashed open, I got comfortable in his warm arms. Ones I could spend forever in. Slowly I sighed and grew ready for another long nap. I felt Paul's chest shake with a small, happy laugh. It was refreshing to see his eyes shining down at me. That look could make me feel better more than any amount of restful healing.
His white smile was stunning as always. "You've made me a very happy man… Mrs. Lahote."